The Consulate General of the United States, Chennai, in collaboration with the Center for East Asian Studies and the Department of International Studies, Political Science and History, organized the “South Asia and Indo-Pacific: The Way Forward” lecture.
The program started with the welcome address by Dr. Madhumati Deshpande, thanking the Ambassador for his acceptance to deliver an insightful lecture and introduced him to the audience. The program then commenced by shedding light on the various issues highlighted by the Ambassador in the Indo-Pacific region.
The role of the United States in forming the QUAD and its thought on the “Freedom of navigation” on the seas was the main focus. The ambassador quoted several instances where the Chinese Army is being a threat not only in the Indo-Pacific but also in the South Asian region, and is of focus for the United States on security matters. The prospects of future relations with other countries in South Asia and the Pacific rim were discussed, wherein further strengthening of ties with the United States was seen as a convincible action.
The ambassador's speech was followed by a Q&A session. Several topics like the AUKUS deal, Climate Change, SCO, US’s response to the Arctic sea route, its involvement in the present Sri Lankan crisis etc., were discussed with the speaker. A couple of other questions with specific topics related to China were pitched as well, like the US’s reaction to the recent escalation in relations with China regarding the Solomon Islands, the Chinese threat to the Pacific Islands etc.
The ambassador was gracious and excited to answer the myriad of questions posed by the students. Following the insightful interaction, the event concluded with a Vote of Thanks given by Prof. Vinod of the Department of ISPH, followed by the University anthem. The lecture provided the students with thought-provoking insights about the US' future course of action with respect to the regions.
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